A little bit of star power can go a long way.

Just ask longtime Miamian, architect and historical preservation advocate Jorge Hernandez, who has been working to bring back the iconic Miami Marine Stadium.

He said one of the strongest pushes his cause has gotten so far came when two of the biggest names in South Florida — Jimmy Buffett and Gloria Estefan — put on a benefit concert for the stadium, which has been closed up for over 20 years. It took place at the Coral Gables Museum on Jan. 9.

“It was amazing, having the two of them together supporting our cause,” said Hernandez, co-founder of the fundraising group, Friends of Miami Marine Stadium and board member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “You’re talking about two people, two huge stars, who are synonymous with South Florida. And it’s fitting, of course, because they both played the Miami Marine Stadium early in their careers.”

He also said the concert, which was hosted by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, was a “spec- tacular success, and it really helped to raise awareness and bring in a lot of support.”

Fundraising efforts began in earnest last summer. So far the group has collected $10 million of the $30 mil- lion figure needed to rebuild and restore the complex.

“We’re a third of the way already,” Hernandez said. “We’re within arm's reach, because once we hit two thirds, we can begin construction.”

In its heyday, the 50-year-old, 6,500-seat Virginia Key stadium hosted powerboat races, large-scale cul- tural events, festivals and concerts, on the unique float- ing stage in its horseshoe-shaped basin, overlooking the Miami skyline.

It has been shuttered since 1992 after being dam- aged by Hurricane Andrew.

Buffett famously took off his guitar at the end of one of his shows in the 1980s and dove into the water, much to the delight of the audience, many of whom were swimming and floating in front of the stage on rafts and in small boats.

“I remember that,” said Geoff Fletcher of Miami Beach. “He even swam around with the other people who were in the water for a bit. He performed there sev- eral other times, too, as I recall.”

Fletcher, who called the Marine Stadium a “Miami treasure,” remembers hydros racing in the basin when he was a teenager. He said he was elated when he heard in July that the Miami City Commission had agreed to allow the nonprofit group to put together a plan to renovate it.

“That's fantastic,” he said. “It’s been a long time coming. I’m just glad they never tore it down, but it was sad to see it run down and fenced off for so many years. Now, we can hopefully get it back for everybody to enjoy — not just the people of Miami but visitors from all around the world.”

Friends of Miami Marine Stadium was created as an all-volunteer, non-profit organization in February 2008, to advocate the restoration of the Marine Stadium. On the group’s Facebook page, visitors offer remem- brances and plenty of support for the project.

Buffett and Estefan have been longtime supporters of the cause. In 2009 Buffett did a public service an- nouncement calling for the site’s renovation. In May, Estefan became the official face of the National Trust’s restoration campaign.

“Gloria’s video presentation on the stadium helped persuade the city commissioners to vote yes on the issue,” Hernandez said.

The city’s agreement gave Friends control over the property, as well as the green light to start raising money for renovation within a two-year deadline. Plans call for a multipurpose venue for concerts, boat races, sailing regat- tas and community events, as well as a large public park.

Hilario Candela, the original architect who designed the innovative facility, was also in attendance at the Jan. 9 concert, Hernandez said.

“He’s almost 80 years old, but he was dancing like a kid,” Hernandez said. “I know he’s very pleased to see his brainchild reborn.”

Candela was a 28-year-old recent Cuban immigrant when he designed the stadium in 1963. The venue was intended for powerboat racing, but its use greatly ex- panded soon after.

He designed the stadium to “reflect and celebrate” the coexistence of both land and water.

Hernandez calls it “a special place, everything that is great about Miami. And when you see the sun setting over the city from that vantage point, it's truly magical.” With the assistance of Buffett and Estefan, Hernandez has brought the campaign to save the sta- dium to a national level. He anticipates reaching the two thirds fundraising mark by the end of 2014. He said “in- stitutions are calling us about doing grants.” The current total includes $3 million from a Miami-Dade County preservation fund.

“We’ve been doing what I call the 'heavy lifting' part of the process, building a groundswell of public support,” Hernandez said. “Once we begin construc- tion, it will go very quickly. Of course for me, this is a labor of love.”